Karelia (historical province)
Karelia | |
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Coat of arms | |
Finnish Karelia until 1940: in lighter blue the area ceded to the Soviet Union in that year, now part of Russia. | |
| Country | Finland Before 1812: Finland Russia Before 1809: Russia Sweden |
| Regions | Major parts of: North Karelia South Karelia Minor parts of: North Savo South Savo Kymenlaakso In present-day Russia: Ladoga Karelia Karelian Isthmus |
Karelia (Finnish: Karjala: Swedish: Karelen) is a historical province of Finland, consisting of the modern-day Finnish regions of South Karelia and North Karelia plus the historical regions of Ladoga Karelia and the Karelian Isthmus, which are now in Russia. Historical Karelia also extends to the regions of Kymenlaakso (east of the River Kymi), North Savo (Kaavi, Rautavaara and Säyneinen) and South Savo (Mäntyharju).
Karelia may also refer to the region as a whole, including the portion of Karelia within Russia. The term "Finnish Karelia" refers specifically to the historical Finnish province, while East Karelia or "Russian Karelia" refers to the portion of Karelia within Russia. Finland ceded a portion of Finnish Karelia to the Soviet Union after the Winter War of 1939–40. More than 400,000 evacuees from the ceded territories re-settled in various parts of Finland. Finnish Karelians include the present-day inhabitants of South Karelia and North Karelia, as well as the still-surviving evacuees from the ceded territories.
Finnish Karelia historically came under western influence, religiously and politically, and was separate from East Karelia, which was dominated by the Novgorod Republic and its many successor states from the Middle Ages onwards.